The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-16
IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Letter from State Treasurer Aths
Thomas.

Thomas.
OFFICE OF STATE TREASURER
NASHVILLE, TENN Aug: -, 1887.
Hon. Eth. B. Wade: In response
to the inquiry contained in your
highly appreciated letter Of the 18th
instant, / submit the following:
The Comptroller reports that for
last year he collected from liquor
dealers on account of special priv
leges $142, 900, and from merchants
tax on liquor traffic $4,000, max
ing S222,0O0 collected from this
sour ce.
We have had some difficulty out
of the present receipts of revenue of
meeting current expenses of tie
State and paying promptly the IN
terest on the State debt falling due
each January and July, and, in or
der to meet the installment Of inter-.
est due last January and
July, we have borrowed,
and now have borrowed 1915
900. Loans to get this amount
have been effected an on estimate tina
the revenues would continue equal
to what they have bsel for the past
year. While we expect TO be able
to pay the major part of these loans
ia February and March next, we
will have to borrow some $3.50, 900
or $500, 900 with which to meet the
interest falling due Jan. l. next.
Should this source Of revenue be
cut off, it is more than probable
that the State officials will not be
able to effect loan or loans to meet
this interest, consequently, on the Isl
of January next, the State will have
to default IN the payment OF the in
terest on her bonded debt. This
will cause the Governor to call the
Legislature in extra session at the
: expense of $4,000, and when il
convenes it will be forced to levy
an additional tax OF 10 or 10 cents
But in the meantime, in consequent
of the default of The payment of
interest, great and almost irrepara'
, BILE injury will have been done IO
the State credit, which was, few
years past, a reproach, but which il
now equal to that of almost any
State in the Union.
1t is commended by some that Thu
loss of $4,000 dollars per annun
for liquor traffic and privileges il
fully met or compensated by the
decrease in the cost of State prose
cutions. The cost of State prosecu
tions for all purposes last year wa
abou4 10000. From this take
100, 900, what the State received fe
convict labor for the same time
leaves the net cost to the State TO
!" al State prosecutions for one year
10000. This being distributed tC
u the different causes of State prose
BUTTONS any one can approximately
estimate the amount to be appOr
le toned to each crime or Ofiense. Blu
q it must be borue in mind that shout
> the proposed constitutional amene
: ment be adopted the expense {
le of its enforcement. Will doubt
II less add largely to TIE cost If Grim
'e inAl prosecutions in the Stat
re probably as much, If not more
u than the dimlnution of cost arisln
Al from the evil Intended to be sup
eS pressed by the amendment, an
Il this fact is fully sustained by ii
IN fact that it cost the United State
q Government 100000 to prohib
ne it illicit sale and manufacture in tn
~ State.
III make this statement III sprir
as of opposition to tie proposed amep'
,oi ment, but in order that the peop.
~ may be informed as to these publ
NC matters.
NC ATHA THOMAS.
OF